North America Distribution

Facts

The native American bittersweet is distinguished from its invasive relative, Asian bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) by its inflorescences, which form at the ends of the branches rather than the joints (axils), and by its finely toothed (as opposed to wavy) leaf margins. However, the two species can hybridize. As with Asian bittersweet, American bittersweet can be used to fashion wreaths and other ornamental arrangements.

Native to North America?

Sometimes Confused With

flowers in axillary arrays with 2 or 3 flowers, leaf blades usually less than 2 times as long as wide, and capsules usually with 5 or more seeds (vs. C. scandens, with flowers in a terminal array of 6 or more flowers, leaf blades usually more than 2 times as long as wide, and capsules usually with 0 or 1 seeds).

Genus

Information from Dichotomous Key of Flora Novae Angliae

1×2.
Celastrus orbiculatus
×
Celastrus scandens
→ This rare bittersweet hybrid is known from
MA. It is best identified by its blending of characters (e.g., intermediate capsule and/or anther color) or by its combination of characters (e.g., leaf blades of one species and inflorescences of the other species). The outer and inner valves of the capsule often display an intermediate color between the parental species—yellow to orange-yellow in
Celastrus orbiculatus, deep orange in
C. scandens, and bright orange in the hybrid.